Germany – An Activity Weekend at Lusatian Lakes

This weekend we went to visit two of the local lakes - Bärwalder See and Scheibe See. Around both lakes there are bike paths with a beautiful smooth surface. They are suitable for road bike and roller skates. And we took you too.

Bärwalder See is located in Saxony and is its largest lake. It is also the closest to the Czech Republic. Along the bike path there are several campsites, refreshments, rest areas, free toilets and beautiful sandy beaches with clear water. The beaches are quite large, so there is a nice number of visitors and there is no so-called head to head. The circuit on Bärwalder See is 22 kilometers long, it is mainly a plain with really mild almost exceptional ascents and descents. The conditions are absolutely ideal for roller skates. It travels through beautiful nature, where the view of the lakes and the surrounding landscape spoils a little, perhaps only the distant cooling towers of the Boxberg power plant. Not far from the main car park (5 euros for 24 hours) is also the so-called Ear of Europe - soil modified into the shape of a human ear, 350 meters long with an amphitheater. You can walk or ride an off-road bike and sometimes cultural events take place here. Just beware, it is not possible to pay by card in the car park or in modern snacks. In addition to cycling or skating, there are great conditions for water sports - water skiing, scooter, sailing, etc.

After skating and swimming, we set off for the 25-kilometer-long Rakotzbrücke stone bridge (also known as the Devil's Bridge), which fascinated us by the fact that it looks like a fairy tale. We drive and then go to the bridge by a 4-kilometer-long forest path leading to small lakes, which open into the castle park Rhododendron Park Kromlau. The walk is really beautiful, the surrounding countryside and the park have a wonderful atmosphere. However, the bridge will be under reconstruction until the end of the year, so if you want to have a complete experience, come here next year.

The next day we go to Lake Scheibe See. There is a slightly worse bike path, there are not so many places to rest, refreshments and other activities, but there are fewer people. You can swim on several smaller nice sandy beaches. Parking is free of charge in the village of Riegel. The circuit around the lake is approximately 13 kilometers long, but it is possible to connect and continue smoothly around the adjacent lake Bernsteinsee. The route around this lake then begins on the outskirts of the town of Burg and is 11 kilometers long.

GPS: Bärwalder See 51°22'56.5"N 14°31'03.9"E

Text and photos: Veronika Schubertová